Eating too much or too little because of screens

Eating in front of the television or another screen can cause children to eat too much or too little. Because they are distracted, they pay little attention to their food and put it in their mouths without thinking. Some children may even forget to eat because all their attention is focused on the screen. The effect of distraction on eating behaviour applies to both adults and children.

Every child processes stimuli differently, and this can require a lot of energy. Some children are particularly sensitive to this. Watching television frequently while eating can also cause them to feel hungry more and more often while watching. The brain then makes the connection: watching television = eating. Many parents know that it is better not to let their child eat dinner in front of the television. The same applies to lunch.

How much time is needed for lunch?

More and more schools are using a continuous schedule with only 15 minutes for lunch. But it takes at least 20 minutes to develop a feeling of fullness. That is why allowing 30 minutes for lunch is ideal. Especially if the lunch still has to be prepared in the classroom, as is the case at schools that provide a school-provided lunch. With a half-hour lunch break, children feel less rushed while eating.

A lunch break that is too short can cause stress, making it difficult for children to eat at all and causing them to dread mealtimes at school. Help... the food has to be finished before the video ends. Children may therefore start to dread mealtimes at school. And if they do not manage to empty their lunchbox, they may still be hungry after the break.

It can be done differently: 4 alternatives to a video

Extending the lunch break may be difficult in terms of scheduling. But you can turn off the video. There are various ways to create a calm mealtime. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre collected experiences from schools where this works and offers some suggestions:

1. Start by eating in silence

Many schools have had positive experiences with having pupils eat in silence for the first 5 or 10 minutes. You can start with 5 minutes of eating in silence and possibly build this up to 10 minutes. This can help children shift their focus to themselves and their lunchbox. In this way, the brain also gets some real rest.

2. Shift the focus to the food

Draw attention to the food by asking pupils questions about it. Why is an apple healthy? And what is in whole-wheat bread that makes it good for you?

With a school-provided lunch, mealtime is also a great opportunity to practise table manners and social skills: “Could you pass me the peanut butter?” This makes it very educational as well.

3. Use audio only

Pupils already spend a lot of time behind screens. Listen together to an audiobook or podcast via a soundbar. This is still a distraction, but it stimulates only 1 sense. It is also better for the eyes not to keep looking at screens. The children can also be read to by the teacher, or perhaps there are (volunteer) parents who can help with this.

4. Talk to one another

Encourage children to talk to one another. Do they not know what to talk about? Give them an example, such as telling each other about their pet or what they did at the weekend. A current topic can also work. Make it a pleasant time together.

How can you gradually reduce television viewing?

It can be quite difficult to reduce television viewing. Remember that by doing so, you are making a real contribution to the pupils’ healthy eating habits. You can tackle it step by step:

  • Try reducing television viewing to once a week using the tips above. If that works well, you can stop watching television while eating altogether.
  • Start with the youngest pupils: they do not yet know how lunch at school works.

How can you organise breaks for teachers?

If you work more than 5.5 hours a day, as a teacher you can make use of your right to a break. There are ways to organise this as a school. Eating together with pupils is not a break, after all. For example, volunteers, lunchtime supervisors or specialist teachers can be deployed. With their help, the teacher truly has time to recover, and the children receive the attention they deserve. The PO Council has put concrete ideas for organising breaks on paper. Schools can put these into practice right away.

The NOS Youth News visited a school where eating in silence works well: